Adjustable guard-rail clamp.



R. E. EINSTEIN. ADJUSTABLE GUARD RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1909.

"960,858. Patented June 7, 1910.

UNITED srn'rss' PATENT OFFICE;

ROBERT E. EINSTEIN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. ASSIGNOB TO ST. LOUIS FROG SWITCH COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

ADJUSTABLE GUARD-RAIL CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgd e 7, 1910;

Application filed November 29, 1909. Serial No. 530,402.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ronnn'r E. EINSTEIN, acitizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement. in Adjustable Guard-Rail Clamps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

lhis inventi n relates to guard rail'clamps.

()ne object 55 my invention is to provide an improved adjustable guard rail clamp which is so constructed that the spacing meansarranged between the main rail and the guard rail cannotwork loose or become displaced.

Another object is to provide an adjustable guard rail clamp having a locking wedge of novel construct-ion.

Figure 1 ot' the drawings is a top plan view of a railway track structure equipped with one of my improved guard rail clamps,

a portion of the main rail and guard rail be: ing broken away to more clearly illustrate the construction of the clamp; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the parts shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. at is a perspective view of one of the adjusting blocks that is arranged between the main rail and guard rail.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form 0t my invention 1 designates one rail of the traek' and 2 designates a guard rail arranged adjacent same. The guard rail 2 is retained in position by means ot a plurality of clamps, each of which consists of a member 3 that embraces the guard rail and the main rail, :1 pair of adjusting blocks -t interposed between said rails, and a locking wedge \V arranged between the guard rail and the memher 3, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The member I) is provided with a pocket in which the. base flanges of the rails lit, and the adjusting blocks t are made substantially wedge-shaped so that the combined thickness of said blocks can be varied by moving one block relatively to the other. T he meeting faces of the blocks 4 are provided with corrugations 5 that interlock with each other and thus prevent one block from moving longitudinally relatively to the other block, and said corrugations 5 are arranged diagonally or at an angle so as to prevent one block from moving upwardly or downwardly relatively to the other block, thereby preventing either block from workmg loose or becoming displaced. Thisfeature of constructing the adjusting blocks in such a tit; manner thatthev cannot move iipwardly or downwardly" makes my guard rail clamp a decided improvement upon those which have heretofore been in use for in such prior oonstructions the downward pressure wliich 'is e5 exerted on the main rail when it is in service causes the adjusting block arranged adjacent thereto to work downwardly and the other block to work upwardl By providing the meeting faces of the blocks with inclined or diagonal ribs, as herein shown, I prevent the blocks from moving in either direction; namely, upwardly or downwardly,

or longitudinally of the rails between which they are arranged. The locking wedge W that. is interposed between the guard rail and the member 3 is also of novel construction, and comprises a wedge-shaped part 6 provided with a laterally projecting rib 7 that fits into a socket or recess in the memso her 3-, said rib extending longitudinally Off said wedge-shaped part- 6. If desired, the wedge-shaped part (3 can be provided at one end with a laterally projecting wing 8 to which one end of the web 7 is integrally 35 connected, said wing constituting a head which can be struck a blow so as to force the wedge into locking position. -After the wedge has been driven into position the. key

9 is inserted in one of the series of holes 10 9') in the web 7 so as to positively lock the wedge in position and prevent it from work ing loose. T-shaped wedge of this construction is exceptionally strong. and as the means for locking it consists of a key 9 that. 0'5

is adapted to be inserted in one of a plurality of holes in the wedge, itis a. very simple matter to lock the wedge or release it. llaving thus described my inrentioinwhat I claim as new and desire tosccure by Let.- tors Patentis:

A guard rail clamp comprisin a clamping member provided with a 0e (ct for receiving portions of the base anges of the rails and havin a part that bears against the outer side of the web of one rail, a pair of wedge-shaped blocks interposed between the rails, cooperating diagonal ribs '011 said blocks that extend unbrokenly across the meeting faces of said blocks, said ribs being 11? adapted to interlock with each other, a lock- I ing device arranged between the guard rail and the clamping member and comprising a vertically disposed Web that bears against 5 the web of the guardrail, a longitudinally extending rib on said wedge that. fits in a recess formed in-the clamping member, a head on one end of said wed e that is formed integral with the longitu inally extending rib 10 thereon, and a-key arranged in an opening in said rib and bearing against-one side of said clamping member for retalnmg said vwedge in position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, 15 I this twenty-sixth day of November 1909.

D ROBERT E. EINSTEIN. Witnesses:

VVELLS L. CHURCH, GEORGE Bruinwnnn. 

